The Spell Checker built in to Microsoft Office products can be a wonderful assistant ... but, do you rely on it too much? We are going to have some fun with three poems that will show you that relying too heavily on this tool can be a problem.
The first poem was written in 1991 by Mark Eckman in response to a discussion between co-workers at AT&T about whether spell checkers should be included in email programs. The second poem was written by Margo Roark. Last but not least is an expanded version of Mark Eckman's poem composed in 1992 by Dr. Jerrold H. Zar (with the title suggested by Pamela Brown) and originally published in the Journal of Irreprodicble Results, January/February 1994, page 13.
into your folder by clicking on it and saving it in your folder. After the file has downloaded open it in Word. Do not just open the file from here!
Find and fix all of the spelling errors on page 1.
Now we're getting a little tougher - find and fix all of the spelling errors on page 2.
Now, here's the real challenge - find and fix all of the spelling errors on page 3! According to the author there are 123 words that are actually spelled incorrectly on page 3. Can you find them all?
Make sure you save your completed and corrected document!
Want more? Copy & paste this in to Word and fix all of the spelling errors!
An Ode to the Spelling Chequer
by Janet E. Byford
Prays the Lord for the spelling chequer
That came with our pea sea!
Mecca mistake and it puts you rite
Its so easy to ewes, you sea.
I never used to no, was it e before eye?
(Four sometimes its eye before e.)
But now I've discovered the quay to success
It's as simple as won, too, free!
Sew watt if you lose a letter or two,
The whirled won't come two an end!
Can't you sea? It's as plane as the knows on yore face
S. Chequer's my very best friend
I've always had trubble with letters that double
"Is it one or to S's?" I'd wine
But now, as I've tolled you this chequer is grate
And its hi thyme you got won, like mine.
So, how did you do? Did you find all of the errors? Let's check.
into your folder by clicking on it and saving it in your folder. Do not just open the file from here!
After the file has downloaded open it in Word.
Open your Spell Checker Poems document that you corrected.
In one of the documents you have open, from the Window menu, select Compare Side by Side with.
Use Synchronous Scrolling to scroll through both documents at the same time and count how many differences there are between your corrections and the Corrected document.
At the bottom of each poem on your corrected document, type Number of Differences: and the number of differences you found.
Under the number of differences in your document, calculate the percentage of errors that you found and corrected. (Total Corrections - Number of Differences) / Total Corrections. Beside or under the Number of Differences, type Percent Correct: and the percentage you got correct (e.g. 95%)
Spell Check
The Spell Checker built in to Microsoft Office products can be a wonderful assistant ... but, do you rely on it too much? We are going to have some fun with three poems that will show you that relying too heavily on this tool can be a problem.The first poem was written in 1991 by Mark Eckman in response to a discussion between co-workers at AT&T about whether spell checkers should be included in email programs. The second poem was written by Margo Roark. Last but not least is an expanded version of Mark Eckman's poem composed in 1992 by Dr. Jerrold H. Zar (with the title suggested by Pamela Brown) and originally published in the Journal of Irreprodicble Results, January/February 1994, page 13.
Want more? Copy & paste this in to Word and fix all of the spelling errors!
An Ode to the Spelling Chequer
by Janet E. Byford
Prays the Lord for the spelling chequer
That came with our pea sea!
Mecca mistake and it puts you rite
Its so easy to ewes, you sea.
I never used to no, was it e before eye?
(Four sometimes its eye before e.)
But now I've discovered the quay to success
It's as simple as won, too, free!
Sew watt if you lose a letter or two,
The whirled won't come two an end!
Can't you sea? It's as plane as the knows on yore face
S. Chequer's my very best friend
I've always had trubble with letters that double
"Is it one or to S's?" I'd wine
But now, as I've tolled you this chequer is grate
And its hi thyme you got won, like mine.
So, how did you do? Did you find all of the errors? Let's check.